An archive of recent news articles on the topic of alcohol and drugs.
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Smoke testers call for outdoor ban
8th March 2011
Researchers are calling for Australian-style restrictions on outdoor smoking at bars, cafes and restaurants, after finding high levels of air pollution, and that much of it drifts inside. The smoke tests by Otago University researchers around Wellington found the highest levels of fine-particle pollution were in the partially enclosed outdoor smoking areas of hospitality venues - on average 72 micrograms per cubic metre of air. But the levels were also high - 54 micrograms per cubic metre - inside bars in areas next to to the outdoor smoking areas.
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Ocean clean up a pain in the butt
8th March 2011
Up to 35,000 cigarette butts are washed into the Hauraki Gulf each day, making them one of the worst polluters of Auckland's swimming spots. Groups who cleaned Auckland's harbour calculated that one in three cigarette butts ended up as litter, many of which made it into the sea through stormwater drains. Given the size of Auckland's smoking population, this meant about 35,000 cigarettes ended up in the ocean.
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Nicotine replacements poisoning kids
3rd March 2011
People who use nicotine replacement therapy are being warned of the harm it can do to children - after a huge rise in calls to the National Poisons Centre and three "serious exposures". Nicotine gum, lozenges and related products are safe if used by smokers at recommended dosages, but major overdoses can cause symptoms including irregular pulse, breathing difficulties and, in some cases, death. The Government, through the Quit Group, promotes and subsidises nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) as a quit-smoking aid.
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Drug use falling out of favour among young Britons
3rd March 2011
LONDON: A generational shift away from drugs may be under way in Britain, addiction experts suggested, after figures showed illegal substances were declining in popularity among all age groups. Fewer people in England and Wales are taking drugs such as cannabis, cocaine or heroin, according to the National Health Service, which confirmed that use was down in every age group from 11- to 59-year-olds. It found 8.6 per cent of those aged 16 to 59, or 2.8 million people, were using illicit substances in 2009-10 - the lowest figure since drug-taking trends were first monitored in 1996 and down from 10.1 per cent in 2008-09, 11.1 per cent in 1996 and the record of 12.3 per cent in 2003-04.
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Biking to smash P
2nd March 2011
Cycling the length of New Zealand is a fairly minor undertaking for a group of 40 holiday makers. The keen cyclists from Lithuania, Poland, Canada, Scotland, Ireland and New Zealand are pedalling almost 3500km from Cape Reinga to Bluff down the rugged west coast before finishing in Christchurch on April 7. And on the way they are raising awareness for the Stellar Trust which was set up by the Rotary Club of Auckland East to combat the use of pure methamphetamine. Their 46-day itinerary saw them ride 130km from Te Hana, through Helensville to Remuera on Sunday. They stayed at the Remuera Motor Lodge and had a rest day on Monday to take in the sights of Auckland.
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Alcohol linked to cancer in war against binge drinking
2nd March 2011
With three sober months behind us – FebFast, Dry July and Ocsober – we’re entering the really wet season. These are the party months of November to January that kick off with another annual event – the handwringing over teenage binge drinking that coincides with schoolies celebrations.
Given that drinking too much is a normal part of our culture, it’s no surprise that by the age of 18 about 50 per cent of teenagers drink at risky levels. But there are special risks for teens because alcohol affects them differently. Give the average adult male a few drinks and easy access to a couch and he’ll doze off, but adolescents are less sensitive to alcohol’s sedative effects and can stay awake and drink for longer, according to the Australian Drug Foundation.
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Treat alcohol like adult movies, MPs urged
1st March 2011
Displaying alcohol in supermarkets should be treated in the same way as dirty movies are displayed in a video store, the Alcohol Reform Bill select committee was told yesterday. Alcohol Action said the proposals adapted by the Government from a Law Commission report into alcohol reform did not go far enough. Alcohol should not be easily accessible and should not be displayed at the front of stores or with other products such as fruit and vegetables, the group said yesterday. "Supermarkets are treating alcohol like it's a commodity rather than a drug," spokeswoman Professor Jennie Connor said.
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Kiwi drinks 750 stubbies a year
1st March 2011
Kiwis drank the equivalent of about 750 stubbies of beer each in 2005 but still sank less than their counterparts across the ditch, an international report says. The World Health Organisation Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health shows New Zealanders drank an average 9.6 litres of pure alcohol each, well above the 6.1-litre global average. The most popular tipple was beer, followed by wine and spirits. National Addiction Centre director Doug Sellman said the "extraordinary" figure equalled 750 stubbies of 4 per cent beer, about 100 bottles of 12.5 per cent wine or 24 bottles of 40 per cent spirits.
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Council pushes for lower alcohol levels
24th February 2011
Auckland Council wants lowering of alcohol levels for drivers and raising excise tax on liquor included in the Alcohol Reform Bill. Councillor George Wood, who is community safety forum chairman, said these matters were left out of the bill despite being recommended by the Law Commission's July 2009 review of liquor laws. "The council endorses the clear findings of the commission report Alcohol in our Lives: Curbing the Harm. We are saying we want those matters in the reform bill. "They've been been widely discussed and they are controversial."
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Honduras seeks to stop smoking - even at home
24th February 2011
TEGUCIGALPA - Lighting up a cigarette at home could bring a visit from Honduran police if a family member or even a visitor complains about secondhand smoke.
A new law that took effect Monday banning smoking in most public and private spaces doesn't actually outlaw cigarettes inside homes, but it does have a provision allowing people to file complaints about secondhand smoke in homes.
Violations would bring a verbal warning on the first offense. After that could come arrest and a $311 fine - the equivalent of the monthly minimum wage in this Central American country.
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